Improvement in heaters for railroad-cars



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

1.' s. PosT.

Heaters for Railroad Cars.

- Patented Feb. 24,1874.

ZSheets--SheetZ l. S. POST. v Heaters for Railroad Cars." N0.l47,788,Patented Feb.24,1874.

Fz'g. 4.

UNITED STATES Jonson s. rosr, or NEW vonk, N. Y)

IMPROVEMENT IN HEATERS FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,788, dated February24, 1874; application filed November 7, 1873.

' exact description ofthe same, reference heilig had to the accompanyingdrawings making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l, PlateI, represents an internal perspective View of one end of a street orrailway car, showing the -globe-shaped reservoir, as arranged forsupplying the hydrocarbon oil,

y or other liquid, for generating the gas for the fuel for heating thecar or conveyance. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged sectional view ot' thereservoir for supplying the liquid for making the heat. Fig. 3, PlateII, shows a plan or top sectional view of the heating device, with theinduction and eduction pipes, as arranged, in broken-off sections. Fig.4 is a side sectional elevation of the.heating-cylinder, showing theperforated-edged iron disk in the drum for generating gas from naphth a,gasoline, or other iiuid ilowing into it through a pipe connecting withthe globe-reservoir in the top of the car; also, the pipe for emittingdrops of water upon the top of the heated iron disk for decomposing thewater and liberating t-he oxygen to give increased iiainc and heatwithin the drum or heater.

My invention relates to heating cars and other conveyances, and has forits object the safety and non-liability of setting fire to the ear incase of collision or other accident to the carriage or train; and itconsists in the globeshaped reservoir, as arranged, and placed in thetop of the car for containing naphtha, gas- 1 oline, or otherhydrocarbon iiuids for generating gas for the drum or heater, and itspipe connections for conveying the duid to the gas generators andburners 5 and, also, the arrangement and combination of the water tankand pipe into the drum or heater, to admit of water dropping onto Atheheated plate of the gas generator and burner, thereby decomposing it andliberating the oxygen from the water to mix with the earburetcdhydrogen, materially increasing combustion and heat within the drum,which is supplied with a constant flow of fresh air, conveyed through awindsail pipe, extending down from above the ,top of the car to theunder side of the drum,which becomes heated, and is conveyed throughiiat pipes or conductors to the registers placed vin any desirableposition on, or under,'the door of the car.

Referring to the drawings, in one corner of the top of the Vcar A, or atany other convenient place, I locate a globe-shaped reservoir, B, whichis made of either wrought or cast metal, of sufficient strength andcapacity to contain a quantity of naphtha, gasoline, or otherhydrocarbon oils, for supplying the i'uel for generating gas to heat thecar or conveyance. The reservoir Bis supported in a sunken socket, C,made in the roof of the car to iit it, and is secured in its place by ahinged cover, c, and lock, and is only required to be opened to bereplenished with the luid,which is poured in through the hole in thetop, made for that purpose. In the center of the bottoni of thereservoir B is a small eductioirpipe, l), which connects with the mainpipe D; the same, connecting with the reservoir B, passes down to thebottom of the car and extends along, either above or beneath, the floorE to the drum or heater F, where it rises perpendicularly from one totwo feet, and then passes horizontally into the center of the drum F andconnects with the device Gr for generating the gas, which consists oftwo metal plates, g g', placed parallel a short distance from eachother, having a rim or edge, j', perforated with many small holes,through which the gas is emitted and takes dame, it being generated atthis point by the heated iron disks g g acting on the naphtha or otheruid iiowing into it. In the corner of the car, above the drum or heaterF, I place a watertauk, H, having a small discharge-pipe, 71 with acock, t', to stop or regulate the i'low of water, the pipe h passinginto the heater F, the lower point being directly over and near thecenter of the disk or top plate g of the gas-generating device Gr, sothat drops of the water falling upon the heated disk immediatelydecompose and liberate the oxygen to commingle with the carburetedhydrogen, which greatly increases the name and heat, the device G beingsupported on the pipe D centrally, and held in its position by 2 l Mmes-Would be cut off, and immediately the ame would be extinguished. Insideof the globeshaped reservoir B I purpose to have a selfacting valve thatwill close the outlet b to the pipes, and prevent the flow ofthe fluidshould any of the pipes be broken or become detached from the reservoir,and prevent the iiowing of the tluid contents. To supply the drum. Fwith fresh air from Without, I have a windsail pipe, I, placedvertically in the corner of the car, in the rear of the Water-tank H,and the drum F extending up through and above the top of the Car, thesame being curved at the bottom, terminating in the central portion ofthe bottom of the drum, so that the current of air comes directly incontact with the iame of the burners and become heated as it rises inthe drum to near the top, where it is conveyed through the broad datconductors K down the sides of the drum to near the floor of the ear andcarried in pipes L or tin conductors along the sides or under the seats,

- terminating in registers m in any desired position, giving thereby acurrent of fresh, pure, heated air, continually passing through the carupward, out of the ventilators above, and

when there is no lire in the drum F the cool air will pass through thecar in the same manner. v

My object is to prevent or greatly lessen the liability of cars takin giire in case of being thrown from the track, or other accident, andproduce a purer and more uniform heat throughout the car, that can beeasily managed to increase or diminish, as may be required, and suddenlyextinguished or kept loW at the end of the route or when the cars arevacated, it being more economical and more cleanly, as there Will be nocoal, no ashes, and no dust to proceed from any portion of theapparatus.

fhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The globe-shaped reservoir B, forcontaining naphtha or other suitable material for generating gas forheating cars, said reservoir being ineased and secured in the sunkenrecess or socket C in the top ofthe car, as herein shown and described.

2'. In combination With the reservoir B, supply-pipe D, andgas-generator G, constructed as described, the Water-drip pipe h andWatertank I-I, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the drum. F, gasburner Gr, and supplypipe D,communicating With an outside reservoir, the Water-tank H, drip-pipeh,and stop-cock t' to regulate the flour of Water upon the top plate g',substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name in the presence ot'two Witnesses.

Witnesses: JUDSON S. POS".

DANIEL OG. GALLAGHAN, J. DWooDRUFF.

